Political Quotes

“I rise today in full support of the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010. I assert that the investment we make in education with this bill is an investment in America's economic future. For too long, we have allowed America to lag behind other nations in education, specifically in the number of college graduates we produce. No more. Now is the time to train our workforce to compete in the global economy. Now is the time to provide affordable, accessible, quality educational opportunities so that America will shine as a beacon of ingenuity and prosperity once again. This bill answers the call by making college more affordable and accessible. Perhaps most significantly, the bill invests in and protects the Pell grant scholarship. It provides $36 billion over 10 years for this program which allows so many to attend college who would not otherwise have the opportunity. This includes funding to cover a shortfall due to demand. The failing economy has spurred a dramatic increase the number of those students who are eligible for Pell grants. In 2007, there were 5 million Pell grant recipients. In 2009-2010, there were 8.3 million. The bill also provides an increase in the maximum annual award which will ultimately be indexed to the Consumer Price Index and thus linked to increases in the cost of living. In Maryland, over 85,000 students depend on Pell grants to help them attend college.”